Portable desk



F. MICCICHE Feb."1 8, 1964 PORTABLE DESK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 9, 1962 INVENTOR flan/z; Mjccdcke/ m 19%;, M M J fITORNEYS Feb. 18, 1964 F. MICCICHE 3,121,591

PORTABLE DESK Filed Aug. 9, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,121,591 PURTABLE DESK Frank Miccichc, New York, N.Y. (S3 Qlover Ava, Floral Park, NIY.) Filed Aug. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 215,971 6 Qiaims. (ill. 297-153) .This invention relates to writing boards or tablets, more especially for use as a temporary or portable desk in association with chairs or seats having arm rests, as in auditoriums, public conveyances, dormitories, apartments, and the like, where space is at a premium.

Prior devices of this type have had certain inherent deficiences which have made them expensive to manufacture and difficult to use, and as a consequence they have not been accepted by the public in spite of a widespread need.

It is an object of this invention to provide a board of simplified and economical construction.

it is a further object of this invention to provide a board having two usable working surfaces.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a device in which the working surface may be rigidly but adjustably held in a variety of positions.

hese and other objects of the invention will be readily apparent from the following description and appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view showing the desk in use supported by the arms of a chair;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the desk, further illustrating the mode of attachment to the arm rest of a chair;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the desk showing details of the supporting members;

FIG. 4 is a top plan View showing an alternate form of supporting means;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view, partly in section, showing details of the supporting means taken along the line 55 of HG. 4-.

Referring to said drawings, the desk comprises a firm planar element 5 of wood, plastic, laminate, metal or the like, of the desired thickness and rigidity and having two smooth, unobstructed surfaces 5a, 5b. At the front or inner edge 8 of the board '5, two openings or passageways 1 extend into the board near the right and left hand sides. Slidably fitted within these passageways are extension rods 2, provided with an adjustable locking device 7, at their outer ends, which forms a connection with extension 3.

In using the desk, the edge 8 is placed upon the upper surface of the arm rests 21 of the chair or seat 2%}, with the transverse slides 6 at the ends of extension 3 under the arm rest 21. By means of the vary locks 7, the board 1 can be adjusted from a horizontal position, as indicated at A in FIGURE 2, to a substantially vertical position as indicated at C, or at any desired intermediate angle, as indicated at B in FIGURE 2, and firmly locked in that position. This will provide the user with a flat table top surface or any desired tilt for reading or writing. The movable end slides 6 provide any necessary adjustment for variation in the distances between the arm rests of different chairs without changing the locations of the support and extension rods.

It will be seen that after the desk is in position and adjusted, it may be removed and replaced readily and rapidly whenever occasion requires merely by lifting the top or outer edge, all without further adjustment. This versatility of movement permits easy passage in front of the user, for example, when the invention is used in large public assembly halls, such as auditoriums and the like having fixed seats.

3,l2l,5@l Patented Feb. 18, 1954 "ice The absence of projections, fastening means or the like, permits the use of either surface of the board which, consequently, may have both surfaces identical as shown, thereby substantially doubling the useful life of the desk. For this purpose the surfaces are provided with a groove 4a, 4b near the outer edge thereof, to hold pencils, pens and the like. If desired, of course, each side may be specifically designed for a different purpose, thereby enhancing the utility of the desk.

Supports 2, extensions 3 and end slides 6 preferably are of metal, although some of the newer plastics which combine great strength and toughness may be used if desired. Exposed parts, such as extension 3 and end slides 6 preferably are covered with rubber, leather, or other suitable tough but soft material to prevent marring of furniture which they contact.

The depth of the passageways l is not critical, so long as supports 2 are inserted a sufficient distance to bear the applied load when the desk is in use. If the friction between the material of the desk along passageways and the supports 2 is not sufficient to retain the latter in position, a high strength adhesive, such as an epoxy resin, or a suitable mechanical means may be used for this purpose.

Any form of connection between supports 2. and extensions 3' which provides the necessary adjustability with rigidity may be used, but vary locks 7 are preferred. The construction of one of these is shown in greater detail in FIGURE 3. The outer end 12 of support 2 is enlarged and flattened and provided with a square opening, adapted to receive the square shank of bolt ill. The inner end 13 of support 3 is similarly flattened and enlarged and provided with a round open ng, adapted to receive the threaded portion of bolt 11. A soft washer 14 is placed between ends 312 and 13, and wing nut 15 threadably engages bolt 11.

Upon loosening nut 15, supports 2. and extension 3 may be adjusted to any desired angle and held firmly in that position when the nut is tightened. Such adjustable fastening means are conventional and well known and, per se, are not my invention.

As show in greater detail in FTGURE 3, extension 3 may be covered with soft resilient material 9, which may be in the form of a separable sleeve or an adherent coating. The outer ends of extension 3 are provided with an enlargement 18 having a transverse opening therein for receiving end slide 6. The ends of slide ti may be provided with enlarged tips 1? of plastic or other suitable material.

Adverting now to FEGURES 4 and 5, these show an alternate or variant form of support for the desk. Supports of this type would ordinarily be used where the material of the desk is too thin or of insufficient strength to accommodate an internal rod as shown in FIGURE 1, or where it is not necessary or desirable to vary the angle of the desk with respect to the supporting means.

In this embodiment, two straps 31, preferably of metal, are provided on each surface 5a, 5b of the desk 5 but inset therein so as to be flush therewith, on the inner edge 8, near the right and left sides. Each pair of straps is held in place by rivets 32 or other suitable fastening means, with each of the straps projecting beyond the edge 3 of the desk. The free ends of the straps are provided with openings for a pin or rivet 33. A red 35 extends outwardly of each pair of straps 31, the inner end of which is provided with an opening to receive rivet 33. Thus rod 35 is rotatably mounted between straps 31 with rivet 33 as the pivot.

The outer end of rod 35' is provided with an extension 36 to engage the underside of the chair arm, thereby providing a readily movable fastening means similar to sliding member 6 in FIGURE 3. With this embodiment, however, the extensions need not be slidable with respect to rod 35 to adapt the desk to chairs of varying Widths between the arms. In this embodiment, the desired adjustability is effected by extent of the outward rotation of rods 35 about the pivot rive s There is another advantage to this construction in that when the desks are not in use, the rods will be swung back more or less parallel with the inner edge 8 of the desk as indicated at D in FEGURE 4. This reduces the over-all dimensions so as to facilitate storage of the desks as well as reduces the likelihood of damage to or by the projecting rods.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates only to preferred embodiments of the invention and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for the purposes of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable Work table for use with a seat having arm rests comprising substantially planar means for supporting Work materials, said planar means having an inner edge, means to prevent displacement of said planar means when said planar means is supported by said arm rests comprising a pair of members extending from said inner edge of said planar means outwardly thereof, means at the end of each said member extending transversely thereof for engaging the under side of said arm rests, means for attaching said members to said planar means, and means for varying the angular relation of said planar body and each of said members.

2. A portable desk for use with a chair having an arm at each side thereof comprising a substantially rectangular body having two parallel working surfaces and aninner edge, two openings in said inner edge of said body and extending inwardly thereof between said surfaces, a rod mounted in each of said openings, separate means for engaging each of said arms, and means for rigidly connecting each of said rods with one said engaging means at predetermined angular positions.

3. A portable desk as set forth in claim 1 in which the engaging means is T-shaped with a transversely slidable cross-arm.

4. A portable work table for use with seating means provided with arm rests comprising a table body having upper and lower working surfaces and an inner edge, a pair of members excnding outwardly beyond said inner edge, means extending laterally of each said member adapted to engage the under side of an arm rest thereby supporting said desk on said arm rests, means for attaching said members to said table body, and means for adjustably varying the angle between said table body and each of said members.

5. A portable desk for use with a seat having arm rests comprising a desk body having upper and lower working surfaces and an inner edge, two passageways within said body between said surfaces and opening on said edge, a member Within each of said passageways and extending outwardly beyond said inner edge, means eX- tending laterally of each said member adapted to engage the under side of an arm rest, thereby supporting said desk on said arm rests, and means to adjustably vary the angle between said desk body and said arm rest engaging means.

6. A portable desk as set forth in claim 4 in which said upper and lower working surfaces are substantially alike.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 382,687 Burlin May 15, 1888 1,790,808 Griflith Feb. 3, 1931 1,912,319 Svejda May 30, 1933 1,962,988 Fulton June 12, 1934 2,294,366 Eidson Sept. 1, 1942 2,701,006 Kandarian Feb. 1, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 850,813 France Sept. 18, 1939 

1. A PORTABLE WORK TABLE FOR USE WITH A SEAT HAVING ARM RESTS COMPRISING SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR MEANS FOR SUPPORTING WORK MATERIALS, SAID PLANAR MEANS HAVING AN INNER EDGE, MEANS TO PREVENT DISPLACEMENT OF SAID PLANAR MEANS WHEN SAID PLANAR MEANS IS SUPPORTED BY SAID ARM RESTS COMPRISING A PAIR OF MEMBERS EXTENDING FROM SAID INNER EDGE OF SAID PLANAR MEANS OUTWARDLY THEREOF, MEANS AT THE END OF EACH SAID MEMBER EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THEREOF FOR ENGAGING THE UNDER SIDE OF SAID ARM RESTS, MEANS FOR ATTACHING SAID MEMBERS TO SAID PLANAR MEANS, AND MEANS FOR VARYING THE ANGULAR RELATION OF SAID PLANAR BODY AND EACH OF SAID MEMBERS. 